Best bakeries (for bread)

[Hungry Celeste]

Making a short trip to NYC in early April, and I'm interested in bread bakeries (in Manhattan). Already on my list are Sullivan St Bakery, Amy's, GranDaisy.....can you suggest any others? TIA.

[jester99]

anybody try Breads Bakery? I havent been able to sample their bread, only their rugalachs.

I am indifferent to the bread at Amy's, I do love the Pizza Bianca at Sullivans and Gradaisy. The bread at Eataly is pretty good too and reasonably priced.

2nd Parisi Bakery, Faccios and DiPalos for Proscuitto bread/ring

[sugartoof]

I tried their Hamantaschen and wasn't impressed with their botched version of the cookie. A lot of what was in their reminded me of Paris Baguette for some reason. How were the Rugelach?

Amy's makes a rustic bread that won me over.

I'll second Eataly, though many breads taste the same that really shouldn't.

[Nancy S.]

Also, I think the Eataly bread also is a bit too salty.

[sugartoof]

I agree. It's a distinctive taste.

I also find myself with a stomach ache after eating their breads, but I think that's just me, and I keep going back for more anyway.

[uwsgrazer]

I loved Eataly focaccia the first couple of times I tried it within a year or so of their opening. Subsequent purchases weren't very good, I thought, and so I'm less likely to buy it these days

[sugartoof]

The focaccia was excellent.

They raised the prices and started offering more toppings, and I stopped bothering. New York doesn't have a lot of focaccia competition though.

[jester99]

I havent been there in a while so havent checked it out but yeah, not really any place peddling foccaccia.

The ruglachs at Breads I thought was okay, i bit overhyped in my opinion. They are more like mini overloaded chocolate crossaints, which is not a bad thing (too much chocolate can never be a real complaint). I have only been there ealry saturday mornings and most of the stuff was not out yet and i do agree it has that Asian bakery layout (ie. take a tray and tongs and start piling). Nothing really stood out to me but I want to give their babka bread a shot.

There is also Bien Cuit in the WV now, though i find their loaves on the pricy side i do like their rye and sunflower seed one.

[arepo]

Le Pain Quotidien

Bouchon Bakery

[sugartoof]

Bien Cuit belongs on any best of list right now.

[City Kid]

Not strictly speaking a bread bakery, but Parisi on Mott for the best prosciutto bread anywhere (also available at Faicco on Bleeker). And Eric Kayser, especially for their gruyere bread, awesome!

[uwsgrazer]

+1 for Parisi prosciutto bread, though I also like Faicco's own prosciutto bread. Parisi semolina and Italian breads are also excellent.

[Hey19]

My favorite bread these days is from Il Buco A&V. Maybe followed by Bien Cuit.

[Monica]

I am not a big fan of Amy's and Sullivan st bakery but I do love baguettes from Pain D'avignon, Some people love bread from Maison Kayser but I found them to be too dense and thick in texture. Balthazar is too crusty in my opinion though their potato onion bread is amazing.
Bread from Pain D'avignon has the perfect crust and chewy and slightly doughy inside. I love Tom Cat's baguettes too and they are available in many supermarket.

[iluvcookies]

Orwasher's... best darn rye I ever tasted. Been around since 1916.

http://www.orwashers.com/

308 East 78th Street, NY, NY 10075
102 Franklin Street NY, NY 10013

[foodwhisperer]

I second Orwasher's for rye bread.I used to live in an apartment that faced their vents. I smelled the bread baking every morning . Fantastic. All Good Things in Tribeca , houses a "booth" that sells Orwasher's rye bread. Grandaisy Tribeca is only about 4 blocks from there, so going to both is easy. Actually, at All Good Things , they give away free tastes of the rye bread, so you don't have to buy a loaf.

[uwsgrazer]

Never even knew about All Good Things in Tribeca. What else do they sell from Orwasher's (or other vendors) that is worth getting?

[kathryn]

Other Manhattan options:
Pain D'avignon
Blue Ribbon Bakery Market
Balthazar
Silver Moon

There are lots of new bread makers on the scene lately, including:
Bien Cuit's new Manhattan location
Maison Kayser's new Manhattan location
Landbrot - 2 locations
Hot Bread Kitchen - Harlem

Don't discount Runner & Stone or SCRATCHbread in Brooklyn, which have also been getting buzz.

See also:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/784774
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/780158
http://newyork.seriouseats.com/good_b...

[wewwew]

As Kathryn says,"don't discount Runner & Stone..."
If time is not a factor and bread is a passion take the R train from Union Square to Union St.